Questions for other Districts:
How many schools are in your District? What is the total population of your District?
Osseo: 19 elementary (k-6) 11,272; 4 junior highs (7-9) 5,027; 3 high schools + 1 learning center (10-12) 5,448
Omaha: 80 schools - 46,000+ students
Lincoln: 53 schools -- 36 elementary, 10 middle schools, 6 high schools, 1 alternative TOTAL pop. 32,000
Millard: 31 schools - 25 elementary, 6 middle, 3 high - 21,500 total students
Does each school have a library?
Osseo: Yes
Omaha: Yes
Lincoln: Yes
Millard: Yes
How many certified librarians are in each elementary library? How many paraprofessionals and/or clerical staff?
Osseo: fulltime certified librarian in every school; part-time paraprofessionals (vary by building/principal's discretion)
Omaha: fulltime certified in every building - in some cases 2 fulltime - paraprofessionals are varied since it is a building decision
Lincoln: each building has a media specialist, but not always full-time, some have paraprofessionals, some don't
Millard: fulltime certified librarian in every school plus one paraprofessional
How many certified librarians are in each middle school library? How many paraprofessionals and/or clerical staff?
Osseo: 1 certified librarian in every school; part-time paraprofessionals (vary by building/principal's discretion)
Omaha: 1 certified plus 1 clerical
Lincoln: 1 certified
Millard: 1 certified librarian per school plus one para
How many certified librarians are in each high school library?
Osseo: 1 certified librarian in every school; 1 tech and 1 clerical paraprofessionals
Omaha: at least 1 certified plus 1
Lincoln: 4 of the 6 have 2 media specialists, all have 1 clerical and 1 audiovisual tech
Millard: 2 cerified librarians per school plus two paraprofessionals
What library staff, if any, works at the district level and what are their duties?
Osseo: 1 administrator and clerical paraprofessionals
Omaha: 1 district administrator to oversee the school libraries and one certified librarian who researches for the district librarian and assists her
Lincoln: 14 staff including central processing - 2 positions, 1 to administer ILS, 1 video library, 2 clerical, 1 audiovisual, 1 photographer/tv production, 1 staff media specialist(works with professional collection, trains media specialists, technology training) & 1 coordinator
Millard: 1 administrator, 1 cataloger, 1 secretary, 1 tech support specialist, 1 database specialist
Are any of your libraries open beyond the school day? If so, what are their hours and who staffs them?
Osseo: No
Omaha: 1 hour beyond the school day - 3 times a week - staffed by the librarian
Lincoln: 1 high school after school staffed by librarian and new pilot for saturday mornings (media specialists rotate)
Millard: All high schools are open two nights a week; middle schools are open two afternoons a week until 5:30 (late buses take students home). All elementary schools are open one day a week during summer. Our certified teacher librarians aer paid to work extended hours per diem. Paras are also paid to staff after hours.
Do your librarians have the same contract as a teacher? If not, please explain.
Osseo: Yes
Omaha: Yes
Lincoln: Similar but media specialist contracts allow them more days before and after the school year (elementary 1 day, middle school 3 days, high schools 10 days)
Millard: Yes - with stipends for webmaster duties.
How are the budgets for the school libraries in your District determined? Is there a per pupil allocation? Is the library budget considered part of the building budget and controlled by the principal or is it a separate budget managed at the district level?
Osseo: District allocation based upon # students, # books, and age on collection; additional site based $ at principal's discretion
(I have a copy of their formula on an xcel spread sheet. If you know how to post it on this site, let me know.)
Omaha: complicated formula - weighted by makeup of the student population - controlled in the district office
Lincoln:Site based but Assistant Superintendent recommends $2000 + $5/student for elem & ms and $2000 + $6/student for hs Many of the electronic resources are purchased at the district level. HS may purchase beyond the district package
Millard: Budgets are based on a set amount for elementary, middle, and high school plus a per pupil allocation.
Do libraries receive any additional funding for special programs or needs, e.g. preschool, ELL, schools in high poverty areas.
Osseo: No, unless at principal's discretion
Omaha: Yes
Lincoln:No, but they are currently investigating this.
Millard: No. District budget pays for databases, staff dev., repairs, etc.
How are librarians involved with curriculum development and classroom instruction?
Osseo: Teacher by teacher (no district coordination)
Omaha: In some cases they are on district level committees. Classroom instruction is case by case.
Lincoln: Teacher by teacher, building by building
Millard:
Do your elementary libraries have a fixed (each class visits at a specific time each week) or flexible schedule (classes come on an as-needed basis)?
Osseo: Flexible scheduling
Omaha: fixed
Lincoln: Some of both. Has experimented with flex scheduling b/c of a Library Power grant which mandated it. But the grant has expired so some buildings have changed back.
Millard: All schools have flexible schedules . . . totally based on classroom needs. We are not planning time.
Our district is focusing on 21st century skills, e.g. problem solving, analytical thinking, finding and evaluating information, etc. Are your libraries and librarians currently equipped and involved with promoting these kinds of skills in your district? If so, how are they doing that?
Osseo:
Omaha: The district is working on strategic planning with the implementation of essential questions, higher order thinking skills, and the use of computers embedded throughout.
Lincoln: Focusing on inquiry process (Barbara Strippling?) Evaluated the districts social studies standards -- circled the verbs -- then matched to Bloom's Taxonomy. Found the verbs to be on the low end of the taxonomy. Then compared the new national standards and found them to be at the higher end. Working to incorporate those skills where appropriate within curriculum.
Millard: 21st Century literacies are a part of our responsibility in tandem with courses and curriculum.
Has your district established standards for your school libraries such as size of collection, age of collection, per pupil allocation for book purchases, budgets for electronic resources, staffing, etc.? If so, could you send those standards to me?
Osseo:
Omaha: They don't have standards.
Lincoln: No.
Millard: From the director's email, it appears they do not.
Do you have a summary of statistics for your libraries such as circulation; interlibrary loan; database usage; books per student; amount spent per student on books, periodicals, and electronic resources. Could you send it to me?
Millard: Elementaries Middle School High School
Collection Total 234,586 81,407 50,908
Ave. BooksbPer Pupil 25.6 18 8
Ave. Age of Books 1991 1993 1992
Database Usage 1,600,000 1,600,000 1,600,000
Osseo school district demographics...32% of elementary students are on free/reduced lunch, 31% of junior high students, and 25% of high school students. 57% of the district's students are white, 23% African American, 6% Hispanic, 13.5% Asian, and .7% American Indian.
How many schools are in your District? What is the total population of your District?
Osseo: 19 elementary (k-6) 11,272; 4 junior highs (7-9) 5,027; 3 high schools + 1 learning center (10-12) 5,448
Omaha: 80 schools - 46,000+ students
Lincoln: 53 schools -- 36 elementary, 10 middle schools, 6 high schools, 1 alternative TOTAL pop. 32,000
Millard: 31 schools - 25 elementary, 6 middle, 3 high - 21,500 total students
Does each school have a library?
Osseo: Yes
Omaha: Yes
Lincoln: Yes
Millard: Yes
How many certified librarians are in each elementary library? How many paraprofessionals and/or clerical staff?
Osseo: fulltime certified librarian in every school; part-time paraprofessionals (vary by building/principal's discretion)
Omaha: fulltime certified in every building - in some cases 2 fulltime - paraprofessionals are varied since it is a building decision
Lincoln: each building has a media specialist, but not always full-time, some have paraprofessionals, some don't
Millard: fulltime certified librarian in every school plus one paraprofessional
How many certified librarians are in each middle school library? How many paraprofessionals and/or clerical staff?
Osseo: 1 certified librarian in every school; part-time paraprofessionals (vary by building/principal's discretion)
Omaha: 1 certified plus 1 clerical
Lincoln: 1 certified
Millard: 1 certified librarian per school plus one para
How many certified librarians are in each high school library?
Osseo: 1 certified librarian in every school; 1 tech and 1 clerical paraprofessionals
Omaha: at least 1 certified plus 1
Lincoln: 4 of the 6 have 2 media specialists, all have 1 clerical and 1 audiovisual tech
Millard: 2 cerified librarians per school plus two paraprofessionals
What library staff, if any, works at the district level and what are their duties?
Osseo: 1 administrator and clerical paraprofessionals
Omaha: 1 district administrator to oversee the school libraries and one certified librarian who researches for the district librarian and assists her
Lincoln: 14 staff including central processing - 2 positions, 1 to administer ILS, 1 video library, 2 clerical, 1 audiovisual, 1 photographer/tv production, 1 staff media specialist(works with professional collection, trains media specialists, technology training) & 1 coordinator
Millard: 1 administrator, 1 cataloger, 1 secretary, 1 tech support specialist, 1 database specialist
Are any of your libraries open beyond the school day? If so, what are their hours and who staffs them?
Osseo: No
Omaha: 1 hour beyond the school day - 3 times a week - staffed by the librarian
Lincoln: 1 high school after school staffed by librarian and new pilot for saturday mornings (media specialists rotate)
Millard: All high schools are open two nights a week; middle schools are open two afternoons a week until 5:30 (late buses take students home). All elementary schools are open one day a week during summer. Our certified teacher librarians aer paid to work extended hours per diem. Paras are also paid to staff after hours.
Do your librarians have the same contract as a teacher? If not, please explain.
Osseo: Yes
Omaha: Yes
Lincoln: Similar but media specialist contracts allow them more days before and after the school year (elementary 1 day, middle school 3 days, high schools 10 days)
Millard: Yes - with stipends for webmaster duties.
How are the budgets for the school libraries in your District determined? Is there a per pupil allocation? Is the library budget considered part of the building budget and controlled by the principal or is it a separate budget managed at the district level?
Osseo: District allocation based upon # students, # books, and age on collection; additional site based $ at principal's discretion
(I have a copy of their formula on an xcel spread sheet. If you know how to post it on this site, let me know.)
Omaha: complicated formula - weighted by makeup of the student population - controlled in the district office
Lincoln:Site based but Assistant Superintendent recommends $2000 + $5/student for elem & ms and $2000 + $6/student for hs Many of the electronic resources are purchased at the district level. HS may purchase beyond the district package
Millard: Budgets are based on a set amount for elementary, middle, and high school plus a per pupil allocation.
Do libraries receive any additional funding for special programs or needs, e.g. preschool, ELL, schools in high poverty areas.
Osseo: No, unless at principal's discretion
Omaha: Yes
Lincoln:No, but they are currently investigating this.
Millard: No. District budget pays for databases, staff dev., repairs, etc.
How are librarians involved with curriculum development and classroom instruction?
Osseo: Teacher by teacher (no district coordination)
Omaha: In some cases they are on district level committees. Classroom instruction is case by case.
Lincoln: Teacher by teacher, building by building
Millard:
Do your elementary libraries have a fixed (each class visits at a specific time each week) or flexible schedule (classes come on an as-needed basis)?
Osseo: Flexible scheduling
Omaha: fixed
Lincoln: Some of both. Has experimented with flex scheduling b/c of a Library Power grant which mandated it. But the grant has expired so some buildings have changed back.
Millard: All schools have flexible schedules . . . totally based on classroom needs. We are not planning time.
Our district is focusing on 21st century skills, e.g. problem solving, analytical thinking, finding and evaluating information, etc. Are your libraries and librarians currently equipped and involved with promoting these kinds of skills in your district? If so, how are they doing that?
Osseo:
Omaha: The district is working on strategic planning with the implementation of essential questions, higher order thinking skills, and the use of computers embedded throughout.
Lincoln: Focusing on inquiry process (Barbara Strippling?) Evaluated the districts social studies standards -- circled the verbs -- then matched to Bloom's Taxonomy. Found the verbs to be on the low end of the taxonomy. Then compared the new national standards and found them to be at the higher end. Working to incorporate those skills where appropriate within curriculum.
Millard: 21st Century literacies are a part of our responsibility in tandem with courses and curriculum.
Has your district established standards for your school libraries such as size of collection, age of collection, per pupil allocation for book purchases, budgets for electronic resources, staffing, etc.? If so, could you send those standards to me?
Osseo:
Omaha: They don't have standards.
Lincoln: No.
Millard: From the director's email, it appears they do not.
Do you have a summary of statistics for your libraries such as circulation; interlibrary loan; database usage; books per student; amount spent per student on books, periodicals, and electronic resources. Could you send it to me?
Millard: Elementaries Middle School High School
Collection Total 234,586 81,407 50,908
Ave. BooksbPer Pupil 25.6 18 8
Ave. Age of Books 1991 1993 1992
Database Usage 1,600,000 1,600,000 1,600,000
Osseo school district demographics...32% of elementary students are on free/reduced lunch, 31% of junior high students, and 25% of high school students. 57% of the district's students are white, 23% African American, 6% Hispanic, 13.5% Asian, and .7% American Indian.